The Kitsune's Advise
by Saja Natalia
Summary: Sano finds himself in need of some advise, but there's no way Megumi's going to give him a straight answer. SanoMeg oneshot.


AN: I've finally gotten my fourth SanoMegumi fic written. I hope you enjoy it. It's a bit long, and I apologize.

Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin or anything to do with it. I don't even own any gyouza.

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"Well, well! If it isn't the little kitsune."

Megumi turned to see Sano sitting in a booth beside her. "What do you want, tori-anata?" she asked, using his nickname against him. "I'm here for some food. I have every right to be walking around."

He smirked. "I never said you didn't. You just seemed to be plotting or something." Sano leaned forward, chewing on the fish bone in his mouth. "C'mon and eat with me. I'm bored and could use some company."

Megumi sighed, looking around the Akabeko. The placed was packed, as it always seemed to be on weekends. Sighing, she kicked off her geta and climbed up to the table. "I might as well." She looked across at Sano, confused by his generosity.

"Ah. That's better. Being alone is always kind of a drag." He glanced over at the table across from theirs, obviously checking out the girl that was seated there. Megumi felt her face flush and poured herself a cup of sake to hide the blushing. Oddly enough, Sano didn't mention the fact that she was drinking from his bottle.

"So how's the clinic going?" he asked, not turning back to her. "Anything interesting?"

_He never asks about the clinic. _Megumi found her suspicions rising. "It's fine. Just the normal patients. A broken arm, fevers, all that bit. I find it amazing that you haven't been in there lately. Finally taking my advice, I see?" She studied his face, hoping to read his emotions.

Sano yawned, finally tearing his eyes away from the girl. "Nah. Just haven't had anyone good to fight lately." Just then, Tae walked by. "You want something?" he asked, signaling the waitress. Megumi nodded and Sano smiled. "Two orders of gyouza, Tae." Tae bowed and left for the kitchen, giving Megumi a curious look. All Megumi could do was shrug.

"How's Ken-san?" Megumi asked, struggling to find a topic she could bring up. "Is he doing well?"

Sano's face fell slightly, just enough for Megumi to notice. "Yeah. Kenshin's fine. No problems there. He and Jou-chan have everything covered." He leaned over and took a sip of sake.

"Do you have a problem with Kenshin?" The minute the question was out of her mouth, Megumi found herself wishing it had never been uttered. _Damn it! _

Sano gave her a confused expression, but Megumi could tell it was forced. "No. What would I have against Kenshin? He's my best friend."

Megumi wanted to hit herself for ever bringing it up. Sighing, she looked over at the table beside them. "So why'd you call me over?"

Sano shrugged, obviously hiding something. "Come on," Megumi urged. "You don't normally just want company. Something's up. Otherwise you wouldn't be so generous with this all."

Sano squirmed in his seat for a moment and then leaned in closer to Megumi. "Can you keep a secret?" Megumi nodded, leaning in so they were closer. Sano sighed, looking away. "There's this girl I like, and, well, I'm trying to figure out how to get her to like me." He blushed profoundly. "Why the hell did I just say that?" he asked, falling back against the shoji wall, his hand going to his forehead.

Megumi furrowed her brow. "You say that like someone could like you." She smiled, showing she was joking just as Sano opened his mouth to protest. "I kid. I guess it really depends on the girl, really. If I knew more about her, I might be able to help."

Megumi held her breath while Sano puzzled over her question. She desperately wanted to know who he liked for some reason, but she also didn't want him to know that. She let out her breath as he responded. "Alright. She's from around here, and she likes a really strong guy. That good enough?"

Megumi shook her head. "Not nearly. There are thousands of girls around here and just as many guys. Can't you just get more specific? Tell me who she likes?"

Sano bit down harder on the fishbone, looking down at his lap. Megumi had never seen him so uncomfortable and found it both amusing and alarming. "Well?" she prodded.

"She likes Kenshin," Sano blurted. His eyes grew wide and he turned away, back to looking at the girl across from them again. Megumi's eyes widened as his did, but she hid her surprise.

"Well, I guess all you have to do is try to show her the difference between Kenshin and you. You could always show off in the Kamiya dojo. Bring her there. It shouldn't be too hard." He grunted in response and she found her mood sinking. Suddenly, she wanted to hurt him, to make sure he didn't ever try to like anyone other than her.

"You know she'll never like you, though." Megumi watched as Sano turned to gaze at her, his expression that of complete confusion. "She's totally in love with Ken-san. There's no way she'll ever even think of going with you. She thinks about him every day. You can see it in her eyes. Just talking to her shows it in the ways she gestures, in the way she talks. Whenever she sees him, her eyes light up. She even knows it. Even Yahiko's noticed." Once she started talking, she found it hard to stop.

Sano's expression slowly worsened throughout Megumi's speech until it was an expression most often seen worn by Zanza. "Oh." Standing, he climbed down the step. "Thanks for your help." He slid on his shoes. "I'll see you later."

Megumi closed her eyes and breathed in deeply. Opening them, she addressed him without turning to face him. "Sano, just tell me. Why Kaoru?"

There was a slight silence followed by the sound of shoes being slid off. "What?" Sano asked, sitting down next to her.

"Why do you like Kaoru?" Megumi asked, finding her voice close to cracking. She prayed she didn't cry in front of him. She had vowed never to cry again and wasn't about to break that vow now over some stupid guy.

A silence filled the air until suddenly, Sano began to laugh. "What?" Megumi asked, turning to look at him. He merely laughed harder, causing Megumi's expression to harden. "_What_?"

Sano smiled, wiping tears from his eyes. "Nothing, nothing, kitsune," he replied, trying not to go into another fit of laughter. "It's just so random!"

Megumi bit her lip. "No it's not!" she said, offended. "You just said yourself that you liked Kaoru! You said it just a moment ago!"

Sano just shook his head. "I never said anything like that!"

Now Megumi was annoyed. "Stop lying, you idiot! You just said you liked Kaoru! You said she was a girl from around here who liked Kenshin, and everyone knows that Kaoru likes Ken-san!" She slammed her fist on the table, causing some of the sake to spill. "Don't play with me!"

Sano shook his head. "Kitsune, kitsune. I never said it was Jou-chan! You just said so yourself! I said it was a girl from around here that likes Kenshin! Kaoru's not the only one! You of all people should know that!"

Megumi narrowed her eyes. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Sano's face fell, and he glanced around. "Ano...I have to go now."

"Not a chance, tori." Megumi grabbed on to his jacket. "You're explaining yourself."

Sighing, Sano sat again, trying desperately not to look Megumi in the eye. "It means that you should know that Kaoru's not the only one that likes Kenshin."

Megumi still didn't understand. "What? You mean someone else does? Who? Tae? Tsubame? _Yahiko?_"

"No, not any of those!" Sano said, annoyed now. "Will you stop playing around! You know you like Kenshin!" 

Megumi just stared at Sano, completely lost. "I do?" she asked, still not entirely sure of what he'd just said. "Hardly."

Sano gave her a puzzled look. "What? Everyone thinks you do!"

Now it was Megumi's turn to laugh. "No way! I only mess around like that to annoy Kaoru! I have no attachment like that to Ken-san!" Suddenly, dawning came over her. "Hey! Does that mean you like..." she trailed off.

Sano sighed and looked down. "Yes. Now shut up, okay, kitsune?"

Megumi held a hand up to her mouth, trying not to laugh. "Seriously? _Seriously?" _The laughter exploded out of her. "That's _hilarious!"_

"No it's not!" Sano fumed, turning to face her. "That's not funny! Shut up!"

Megumi shook her head. "You came to _me _for advise on how to get _me_ to like _you_! That's pretty hilarious!"

Sano scowled and looked away, gazing longingly at his shoes. Megumi could tell she was losing him, but she still found the situation quite hilarious. Finally, Sano spoke up.

"So can I still get that advise?"

Megumi looked at him, completely bewildered. "You kidding?" His expression told her he wasn't. Sighing, she leaned in to whisper in his ear. "All you have to do is sit still."

A surprised expression found it's way to Sano's face. "What?"

"All you have to do is sit still." Megumi smiled a kitsune smile that had Sano on his guard.

Sighing, Megumi leaned in to whisper into his ear again. "You sitting still?" 

"I guess," Sano said, much louder than a whisper.

"Good." Suddenly, she turned his head towards her and kissed him on the lips. Sano made a startled noise but stayed true to his word; he didn't move. Megumi smiled against him, pressing herself into him. Finally she pulled back.

"Hey, Sano?" she asked.

"Yeah?"

"You can move now."

He smiled and soon they were at it again, the two of them allowing their emotions to flow, ignoring the people around them.

"Here you go! Two orders of gyou-Okami-sama!" Tae yelped, watching the two of them. "Please do that somewhere other than my restaurant!"

Megumi tore herself from Sano and smiled. "Sorry about that."

"Yeah," Sano said, smiling. "She was just giving me lessons."

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AN: So sorry that's so long. I felt like I was rambling. It's taken me a while to get back to writing, so I'm sorry if it's not too well written.

Please review! Reviews are what keep me writing!

SajaNatalia


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